"Sydämen ääni : Romaani" by E. Temple Thurston is a novel written in the early 20th century. It follows Sally Bishop, a young London typist, as she navigates wearisome office life, unsettling attention from a confident stranger, and a safe but loveless proposal from a respectable suitor, with themes of independence, desire, and social respectability in a foggy, modern city. The opening of the novel sets a moody London evening where Sally, exhausted after overtime at Bonsfield & Co., is watched from the street by Jack Traill, who later follows her onto a tram and presses a bold, teasing conversation that ends with an offensive “ten-pound” bet and Sally’s abrupt exit at Knightsbridge. At her Hammersmith boarding house she spars gently with her practical, skeptical roommate Janet Hallard about work, marriage, and the compromises of the stage. That night the house’s rising banker, Arthur Montagu, takes Sally for a riverside walk and proposes, offering comfort and status; she admits no love, promises only to think, rebuffs his request for a kiss, and later prays, conflicted. The scene then shifts to Traill: after a perfunctory dinner he encounters a worn former acquaintance and brings her to his rooms for talk, where her hopes of a place in his life surface as she begins suggesting how she would “warm” his cold bachelor flat. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"Red aces: Being three cases of Mr. Reeder" by Edgar Wallace is a collection of detective stories written in the early 20th century. It follows the mild, methodical investigator J.G. Reeder as he untangles coolly executed crimes rooted in money, fraud, and murder around London. The first case pivots on a reclusive man’s death, cryptic playing-card clues, and the fraught ties among bank clerk Kenneth McKay, the enigmatic Margot Lynn, and polished clubman Rufus Machfield. The opening of the book sets a snowy, ominous scene: Kenneth, desperately in love with Margot, grows suspicious after seeing her with an older man and then receives her abrupt farewell. That night a lawyer and a mounted policeman find the battered body of a recluse, Wentford, on a country lane; Reeder arrives, traces the trail to Wentford’s fortified cottage, discovers two aces pinned to the door, evidence of a violent struggle and burnt diaries, and finds Margot inside, terrified and claiming secretarial ties to the dead man. While the policeman later turns up shot dead, Reeder and Inspector Gaylor lie in wait at the cottage and flush an intruder who escapes through a window. The investigation widens to the bank: £600 withdrawn from Wentford’s account by a veiled “lady” is traced via banknotes to Kenneth, who admits only that he jealously followed Margot to the house; Reeder also uncovers French banknotes in a safe and a memo linking the victim to Kenneth’s father, George McKay. Parallel threads reveal Machfield’s discreet gambling rooms and his associate Ena Burslem, whom Reeder pointedly identifies. The section closes with Margot, under Reeder’s quiet pressure, conceding that Kenneth entered the house shortly after she arrived and with Reeder insisting she keep the keys to a safe-deposit box her uncle had entrusted to her. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"Us, and our donkey" by Amy Le Feuvre is a children's novel written in the late 19th century. Told by lively Grisel Marjoribanks, it follows a clergyman’s spirited children in a rural English village as they scheme to buy a donkey, tumble into scrapes, and absorb gentle Christian lessons. The cast includes practical Denys, dreamy Aylwin, mischievous Lynette, and earnest little Puff, with village life, churchgoing, and neighborly ties shaping their adventures. The opening of the story introduces the Marjoribanks family’s move to a Lincolnshire rectory after their mother’s death, their new house and garden, and the children’s plan to earn money for a donkey. Each tries a scheme: Lynette makes toffee for the village shop; Grisel secretly rides the carrier’s cart to market to sell flowers and vegetables (earning praise and a quiet rebuke from her father); Denys sells trout after an awkward brush with the squire’s private water; and Aylwin labors in the hayfields. Church life and the knight’s motto “Semper fidelis, semper paratus” frame the moral tone, while Lynette’s impulsiveness leads to a runaway-pony incident that results in new friendships with Clarice and Beatrice at the Hall. A Sunday sermon on “Come, Go, Do” nudges Denys to teach the infants’ class, and little Puff’s earnest prayers are “answered” when Granny sends money—bringing the donkey dream within reach. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"Miss Primrose" by Agnes Giberne is a domestic novel written in the late 19th century. It follows capable, plain-spoken Pauline Ogilvie as she tries to steady her feckless father’s finances, find respectable work, and face the emotional crosscurrents stirred by the genial Leonard Rudge and the captivating Viola Primrose—while an old tie between her father and “Miss Primrose” complicates matters. Set between a quiet seaside town and London drawing rooms, the tale weighs duty, economy, and pride against the hazards of first impressions and romantic misreadings. The opening of the novel shows Pauline pressing her indecisive father to write an old friend for advice as their funds dwindle, while a kind fellow-lodger, Leonard Rudge, becomes part of their daily life and Pauline’s quiet hope. After weeks of delay, a postcard summons Pauline to London as a temporary companion, where she meets the sparkling Viola Primrose and learns that the “real” Miss Primrose is Viola’s aunt, Mrs. Palmer—her father’s former fiancée—now convalescent and wealthy. Rudge proves closely connected to them, and Viola’s impending marriage to him is treated as a given. Returning with them to the seaside for a brief visit, a cliffside picnic ends in danger when rockfall strikes; Pauline pushes Viola to safety and is herself injured, leaving the relationships and motives around her charged with new feeling. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"Hänen viimeinen tervehdyksensä: Muutamia muistelmia Sherlock Holmesista" by Arthur Conan Doyle is a collection published in 1917. This anthology gathers previously published Sherlock Holmes stories, including the titular tale about Holmes' wartime service. The collection features a preface by Dr. Watson assuring readers that the great detective, though long retired and suffering from rheumatism, remains alive and well. Eight cases spanning from 1893 to 1917 showcase Holmes' investigative brilliance across mysterious disappearances, espionage plots, and deadly conspiracies. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"The lady's mile : a novel by M. E. Braddon" is a novel written in the mid-19th century. It is a society romance that pits love and artistic ambition against money and status, following struggling painter Philip Foley and his mercurial enchantress Florence Crawford alongside proud, impoverished Lady Cecil Chudleigh and the magnetic soldier Hector Gordon. Moving between fashionable London and a quiet Hampshire coast, it promises class tension, temptation, and tangled affections. The opening of the novel paints the glitter and envy of London’s Lady’s Mile, where young artist Philip Foley broods over his infatuation with the celebrated painter William Crawford’s coquettish daughter, Florence, while swapping cynical talk with his novelist friend Sigismund Smythe. We learn Philip’s history—his talent, hard apprenticeship, and precarious living—alongside Florence’s charm and worldliness. The scene then shifts to Lady Cecil, a dignified but destitute earl’s daughter serving as companion to her sharp-tongued aunt, Mrs. MacClaverhouse, whose life revolves around careful economies and social calculation. A restorative seaside stay at Fortinbras brings Cecil unexpected brightness: the return of her aunt’s adored nephew, Captain Hector Gordon, a generous, accomplished officer who instantly wins Cecil’s esteem. Their easy companionship grows through readings, drives, and picnics, while the aunt quietly schemes for a match and finally confronts Cecil, who denies any engagement or promise. The section closes with this tension unresolved, as an outing is about to begin and feelings remain unspoken. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"The adventures of Heine" by Edgar Wallace is a collection of espionage stories written in the early 20th century. The narrative follows Heine, a boastful German secret agent, as he recounts his wartime exploits in Britain with sardonic humor and self-aggrandizing flair. Expect sly reversals, covert schemes, and satirical portraits of both spies and the supposed “enemy,” all filtered through Heine’s unreliable bravado. The opening of the narrative finds Heine reassigned from New York to London at the outbreak of war, where he quickly deploys agents using quirky identifiers and basks in his own cleverness. His star operative, Alexander Koos, courts a Woolwich engineer’s daughter for armament secrets but is outplayed by a young woman from British Intelligence and executed, forcing Heine to flee to Scotland. There, a supposed ally on a Highland hill proves to be a Swiss forger; Heine escapes while his colleague is arrested. Shifted to industrial propaganda in Manchester, Heine funds a fiery labor agitator, targets a chemical firm’s secret grenade plans, and clashes with the enigmatic Miss Harrymore—stealing a march on her by denouncing her as a German spy—only to learn she was actually a German agent, leaving him to spin a face-saving report as the section closes with mention of another captured operative and the introduction of Mister Haynes. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"The art of fiction by Walter Besant" is a lecture-essay on literary criticism and the craft of novel-writing from the late 19th century, in the Victorian era. It argues that fiction is a fine art equal to painting, sculpture, music, and poetry, and concisely sets out what storytellers should aim to do. The lecture advances three core claims: fiction is a true art; it is guided by general laws that can be learned; and, like other arts, it still requires innate talent. It defines fiction’s domain as humanity, praising its power to cultivate sympathy and to teach through selection, suppression, and suggestion. It lays down practical rules: rely on real observation and experience; keep human interest foremost; select only what advances character and story; present scenes dramatically; conceive characters clearly; believe wholly in the tale; and write with patient, finished style and a moral sense. It insists that story is indispensable, though invention cannot be taught, and urges studying the construction of great novels. An appendix offers direct advice to beginners on revising, seeking honest criticism, navigating publishers, and never paying to publish, closing with encouragement about the art’s present strength and future promise. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"Little King Davie : or, "Kings and priests unto God" by Nellie Hellis" is a children’s religious novella written in the late 19th century, during the Victorian era. The book follows a poor London crossing-sweeper whose brush with tragedy becomes the path to faith, dignity, and service, embodying the theme that even the lowliest can be “kings and priests unto God.” Davie Scott, a small, underfed boy with a loving mother and a harsh past, earns coppers sweeping streets until a sermon about “kings and priests unto God” stirs him. Rushing to meet the preacher, he is run over and taken to hospital, where his sweetness and remarkable singing comfort other patients and earn him the name “King Davie.” With the practical kindness of Dr. Scott and Lady Cloudesley, and the gospel counsel of the visiting preacher, Mr. Kilmarnock, Davie finds faith and slowly recovers. A convalescent stay and improved home life follow; he becomes a church chorister and attends school through Lady Cloudesley’s help, then later moves with his family to a cathedral town under Mr. Kilmarnock’s care. There, healthier and joyful, Davie sings and serves, his quiet fidelity strengthening his mother’s faith, and the tale closes with the hope that his “kingly” service will endure beyond this life. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"Professor Tim & Paul Twyning : Comedies in three acts" by George Shiels is a collection of stage comedies written in the early 20th century. It centers on rural Irish life, where pride, money, marriage, and local status collide with affection and common sense. The principal comedy follows down-on-his-luck horseman Hugh O’Cahan, practical Peggy Scally, her domineering mother, ambitious councillor James Kilroy, and Peggy’s shambolic but oddly gifted uncle, the so-called “Professor Tim,” a water-diviner. Expect lively banter, social satire, and farcical turns around an auction, a courtship, and a family’s hunger for respectability. The opening of this collection introduces the Scally kitchen on the morning of Hugh O’Cahan’s auction: Peggy tries to end their romance by returning his costly gifts, while Mrs. Scally maneuvers to match Peggy with Joseph Kilroy, whose father plans to buy Hugh’s farm, Rush Hill. Into this walks “Professor Tim,” Briget Scally’s long-absent brother, a shabby, snuff-scented wanderer whom Briget tries to eject, though Peggy quietly shows him kindness. Act II shifts to Rush Hill, where housekeeper Moll Flanagan and groom Paddy Kinney brace for the sale; Paddy secretly dresses up to run up the bidding, while Peggy asks Hugh to call that evening and pockets the returned jewelry as a stake. The Professor divines springs under the house, then drifts to the auction as the rain forces the small, boycotted crowd indoors. When bidding begins, Paddy’s disguise goads Kilroy higher, tempers flare between Kilroy and Hugh, and the price climbs toward the bank’s reserve as the scene cuts off mid-sale. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"The dryad : a novel" by Justin H. McCarthy is a novel written in the early 20th century. Set amid medieval Frankish-ruled Greece, it weaves chivalric romance with lingering Greek pagan enchantment as a rough soldier of fortune, a high-minded young prince, and an immortal forest nymph collide. The likely focus is on the clash between cynicism and idealism, the endurance of the old gods’ magic, and a perilous love between mortal and immortal, chiefly through Simon of Rouen, Rainouart of the Rock, and the dryad Argathona. The opening of the novel follows Simon of Rouen into the Eleusinian wood, where his coarse wit, empty purse, and misanthropic “lantern for honesty” contrast sharply with a young knight he meets reading the Romance of the Rose. After spitefully directing lurking thieves toward the knight, Simon naps and wakes to Argathona, a dryad who claims ancient lineage and effortless strength, rebuffing his clumsy advances and compelling him to aid the ambushed rider. She races him to the scene, summons a terror-storm to scatter the robbers, and tends the wounded youth—Rainouart—whose life and vigor revive under her touch. As Simon fetches water, Argathona and Rainouart exchange tender words that flower into first love; he offers lifelong devotion, even to dwell in the forest, while she, bound to the greenwood, hesitates and goes to seek a healing herb. Meanwhile, Simon returns unseen, spies on their meeting, steals the knight’s cherished book, and, torn between envy and pity, toys with darker thoughts over the helpless rival. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

La marque des quatre by Arthur Conan Doyle is a detective novel written in the late 19th century. It follows Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as they investigate Miss Mary Morstan’s troubling case involving her missing father, mysterious pearls sent annually, and whispers of a hidden treasure tied to soldiers from India. The opening of the novel presents Holmes’s restless intellect and cocaine use, his method of observation and deduction (demonstrated through a revealing analysis of Watson’s watch), and the arrival of Miss Morstan with her story: her father vanished years earlier, she has since received yearly rare pearls, and a new letter invites her to a secret meeting. Holmes and Watson accompany her to the rendezvous, are whisked through foggy London to Thaddeus Sholto, who recounts how his father, Major Sholto, concealed Captain Morstan’s sudden death during a quarrel about a trove from India, hid the treasure, feared a one‑legged man, and died amid a mysterious intrusion marked “The Sign of Four.” Thaddeus explains that his twin, Bartholomew, has just found the treasure in a concealed garret, and the group rushes to Pondicherry Lodge, where a wary gatekeeper and a distraught housekeeper deepen the unease. At the top of the house they find Bartholomew’s laboratory locked; through the keyhole they glimpse his ghastly, frozen face, and as Holmes and Watson break down the door, the scene of the first crisis comes into view. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"The wooing of Rosamond Fayre" by Berta Ruck is a novel written in the early 20th century. It’s a light, witty romance about love set in motion by misdirected letters and mistaken identity, moving from an English country house to a French seaside village on the eve of war. The story centers on capable, charming Rosamond Fayre, dutiful philanthropist Eleanor Urquhart, and Eleanor’s adventurous cousin and fiancé, Ted Urquhart, whose courtship-by-post takes an unexpected turn. At the start of the story, Rosamond, hired as Eleanor’s secretary at Urquhart’s Court, is asked to write Eleanor’s weekly letters to Ted abroad—and even to sign them—despite her misgivings. Her first carefully neutral note, scented by slipped-in rose petals, prompts Ted’s intrigued reply and, soon after, an impulsive, unannounced return to England. Finding Eleanor away at a French Holiday Hostel for working girls (with Rosamond temporarily in charge), he travels there incognito, rescues two of the girls from a cliff mishap with Rosamond’s help, and—mistaking Rosamond for his fiancée—becomes instantly fascinated. Invited to tea at the Hostel, he withholds his name while Pansy, a flamboyant “Principal Boy,” leads the chatter; the scene ends with Ted plotting to continue his anonymous wooing of the woman he believes is Eleanor. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"The Girls at His Billet" by Berta Ruck is a novel written in the early 20th century. Set on England’s east coast during wartime, it blends romantic comedy and home-front life as three spirited sisters under a strict aunt find their dull village transformed by an army training camp and the arrival of a billeted young officer. Narrated by the sharp-tongued youngest sister, the story promises flirtations, clashes, and shifting loyalties as khaki invades their “hen-party” household. The opening of the novel follows Elizabeth (“Rattle”), her sisters Evelyn and Nancy, and their aunt in the dreary village of “Mud Flats” as news arrives that troops will be billeted locally. Rattle cleverly maneuvers her aunt into accepting an officer, and after much excited preparation and card-fortune “omens,” Second-Lieutenant Frank Lascelles turns up early, overhears Rattle’s cheeky “Billet Boy” talk, and sparks instant mutual antagonism—though he charms everyone else. Daily life fills with training scenes, ration details, and his irrepressible presence, while a tall, quiet officer named Curtis and another, Masters, are invited to a small supper. After a brief sisterly truce, Rattle finds a “new interest”: secretly answering a newspaper ad from a “Lonely and Unpopular Subaltern,” penning a candid, sympathetic letter that hints at her own isolation and sets up a parallel thread to the household’s khaki tensions. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"The tomb of Ts'in" by Edgar Wallace is an adventure-thriller novel written in the early 20th century. It centers on a dangerous hunt for the legendary tomb of China’s First Emperor, mixing crime, espionage, and archaeology. The key players include the flamboyant adventurer Captain Ted Talham, the brilliant Italian sleuth Signor Tillizinni, the poised Yvonne Yale, and the ruthless Mr. Soo, all entangled with a murderous secret society and a priceless jade clue. The opening of the story introduces the stakes through repeated attempts to rob a ship’s safe carrying a Chinese Embassy mailbag, leading Tillizinni to the Ambassador, whose historical article about the First Emperor’s burial becomes the catalyst for intrigue. Talham rescues Yvonne from Chinese pursuers in Hyde Park and deciphers the inscription on her ancient jade bracelet—directions that seem to point toward the tomb—before persuading her to let him hold it for safety. Soon after, the Ambassador is found strangled and a Chinese assailant shot dead in a bureau drawer; a vital envelope is empty, and the suave Mr. Soo emerges as a formidable rival, mobilizing his secret-society network. As deceptions multiply—a fake bracelet is swapped, two burglars (Talham and Tillizinni) collide in de Costa’s house, and a bomb nearly kills the detective—the strands tighten around the tomb’s secret, with social niceties masking a deadly contest for the true jade clue. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Yksin Lontoossa by Hesba Stretton is a novel written in the late 19th century. Set amid the streets around Holborn and the Strand, it follows gentle old newsvendor James Oliver, who unexpectedly becomes guardian to a deserted little girl, Dolly, and bonds with a street boy, Tony. The story promises a tender, faith-infused portrait of poverty, loneliness, and small acts of kindness in the great city. The opening of the novel shows a sweltering London evening, Oliver’s cramped shop-home, and his wistful talk with his sister about their past and his estranged daughter, Susanna. After Charlotta leaves, a woman abandons Dolly in the shop; Oliver keeps the child despite Tony’s offer to take her. A note reveals Dolly is Susanna’s daughter, sent to mend the rift, but another letter soon explains Susanna has chosen to follow her soldier husband to India, leaving Dolly in Oliver’s care. Oliver’s joy mixes with worry over age, poverty, and failing memory, while Tony becomes a nightly lodger, absorbs Oliver’s simple Christian comfort, prays for honest work, and—helped by Dolly buying him a broom—finally starts sweeping a busy crossing and earns his first coins. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"Le cas étrange du docteur Jekyll; Un logement pour la nuit" by Stevenson is a collection of fiction written in the late 19th century. It pairs a Gothic investigation into the bond between the esteemed Dr. Jekyll and the menacing Mr. Hyde with an additional tale likely set in medieval Paris. The main thread follows lawyer Mr. Utterson as he probes the unsettling overlap between public respectability and hidden vice in Victorian London. The opening of the collection introduces Mr. Utterson, who hears Enfield’s story of a cruel, small man named Hyde using a key to a mysterious door and producing a dubious cheque linked to Dr. Jekyll. Troubled by Jekyll’s will that favors Hyde, Utterson seeks and confronts Hyde, confirms his access to Jekyll’s home, and soon learns of the savage murder of Sir Danvers Carew; Hyde disappears, while police find evidence in his Soho rooms. Jekyll disavows Hyde and shows a note, which Utterson’s clerk remarks resembles Jekyll’s handwriting; Lanyon then falls fatally ill after a secret rupture with Jekyll and dies, leaving a sealed packet, while Jekyll grows reclusive. The section ends as Poole, Jekyll’s servant, fearfully begs Utterson to come at once, implying something is terribly wrong behind the locked laboratory door. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"Marigold : A story by Edith Allonby" by Edith Allonby is a fantastical allegorical novel written in the early 20th century. Set in Lucifram—a contrarian shadow-world near Hell—the tale blends satire of religion and power with a fairy-tale sensibility. It follows Marigold, a spirited princess who disguises herself as a beggar to pursue and test the revered High Priest Alphonso, while the enigmatic St Armand and the coldly brilliant Prince Plucritus weave larger designs. The opening of Marigold introduces Lucifram’s ruler, Prince Plucritus, his glittering web over the world, and his austere consort Vestné, then pauses for a sharp interlude on Eve, obedience, and the making of woman. We see Plucritus and Vestné plot to strengthen their “net,” hinting at Alphonso’s role as a gatekeeper. The story then shifts to Marigold of Ellel, who, bored by luxury, dons rags to seek the High Priest’s attention, boldly begs him after vespers, and later faces his cool scrutiny in the Palace after a humiliating meal among the poor. A chance encounter in the Temple grounds with a small, chillingly charismatic stranger (St Armand) unsettles her, while her tender visit to a dying neighbor boy reveals her compassion. Parallel scenes show Alphonso and St Armand discussing a haunted Marble House and an old friend, and at dawn St Armand slips, catlike, through Friar’s Court to observe the sleeping Marigold, foreshadowing a contest of influence around her. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"Willy's travels on the railroad : Intended for young children" by Mrs. Marcet is a children's didactic tale written in the mid-19th century. It follows an inquisitive boy, Willy, whose railway journey with his parents turns into a string of lively lessons about steam power, travel, manners, industry, and nature. Through meetings with fellow passengers and townspeople and visits to an inn, an arboretum, a factory, a farm, and a country house, the story blends gentle moral guidance with clear, practical explanations aimed at young readers. The opening of the story finds six-year-old Willy at a bustling station, learning that locomotives run by steam and marveling at speed, perspective, carriage classes, and the eerie whistle before a dark tunnel prompts talk of shafts and construction. A vignette with a spoiled child and a stern but fair old lady leads to a lesson in self-control and rewards, then a stop at Wolverton and a discussion of the “infirmities” of old and young. Moving to an open third-class carriage, Willy befriends a market girl bound for Derby who speaks of her blind mother’s hoped-for cure and the public Arboretum created by Joseph Strutt; at an inn he learns how paying “a little more” works and practises honesty and restraint while fruit picking with the landlady’s daughter. An evening at the Arboretum reunites him with the market girl’s family; the children play, make daisy chains, and receive a new ball, while conversations explain factories (water- and steam-power, children piecing broken threads) and farm life’s give-and-take. A visit to the Milford cotton mill and its great water-wheel cements these lessons, before the family reaches Grandmamma’s country house, where Willy begins tending his own small garden and discovers peas, lettuces, and the homely spinning-wheel—a calm segue to further instruction. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

"Evelyn Manwaring: A Tale of Hampton Court Palace" by Greville John Chester is a novel written in the late 19th century. It centers on the grace-and-favour world of Hampton Court and the storied, troubled Manwaring family, where pride of lineage collides with love, loyalty, and scandal. The main figures include gentle, steadfast Evelyn, her proud genealogist father, her soldier-brother Lionel, her brilliant younger brother Wilfred, and kind neighbors like Miss Sarah Strong and the Duchess of Ribblesdale. The opening of the story follows Evelyn’s fog-shrouded arrival at Hampton Court to take over Lady Glengriskin’s rooms, her private collapse of grief, and her rescue by her warm-hearted neighbor, Miss Sarah Strong, who feeds, comforts, and promises to present her to the Duchess. The narrative then turns to Holmcastle Manor in North Lancashire: the Manwarings’ ancient seat, the Squire’s consuming obsession with pedigree, and the children’s upbringing—Evelyn beloved as “the Lily of Arrow Dale,” Lionel a rising officer, and Wilfred a gifted youth. Sent to the tutor Dr. Massenger, Wilfred bonds with the young Duke of Ribblesdale and clashes with the slippery Augustus Cubleigh; after a visit to a local collector, stolen gold coins are “found” in Wilfred’s waistcoat, and he is falsely branded a thief. Cast out by his implacable father despite the Rector’s plea and Evelyn’s love, Wilfred leaves home in despair and disappears under an assumed name. As searches reveal he has sailed abroad, Massenger arrives at Holmcastle to confess that Wilfred’s innocence is proved and Cubleigh was the culprit, leaving the Squire devastated. (This is an automatically generated summary.)